This section contains transportation
and related data for selected countries. Basic socioeconomic data is provided
to establish a framework for the transportation indicators that follow. These
include information about each country's network of roadways, ownership and
use of roadway vehicles, including the fatalities attributable to those vehicles,
and fuel prices. Topics were chosen to correspond with major topics presented
elsewhere in this volume. Except as noted, data is for the calendar
year 1998, which is the most recent year in which it is available for many countries.

The availability of reliable
information was a major consideration in selecting topics; therefore, some useful
areas were not covered because of the unavailability of complete and comparable
data from an array of countries that could readily be converted to meaningful
indicators. Countries were selected, as other developed countries and/or major
U.S. trading partners, for comparisons with the U.S. system. Japan, four European
countries and our North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) trading partners
were chosen as examples of these. Most U.S. data came from Highway Statistics
1998 or directly from other Federal Highway Administration sources.

Table IN-1 sets forth indicators
of social and demographic status for each country, including population, land
area, population density, gross domestic product (GDP) and the amount of total
transport by roadway. These are shown for 1998 in order to correspond with the
transportation data. The GDP and GDP per capita dollar amount estimates for
each country are stated in terms of purchasing power equivalents. This method
involves the use of dollar price weights applied to the quantities of goods
and services produced by the economy. With this method of conversion, a given
sum of dollars in the U.S. will buy the same amount of goods as that same amount,
converted to the local currency, will buy in the other country. While population,
land area, population density, and GDP vary greatly among the countries, GDP
per capita varies only slightly among seven of the eight countries. Mexico is
less economically developed than the others and varies from them in all important
indicators. The percent of passenger travel and freight transportation on highway
modes show very different patterns between the North American and European countries.
In the U.S. and Canada, passenger transportation is almost exclusively by highway
modes while only a small percentage of freight moves that way. The pattern in
Europe is somewhat different as passengers are less and the use of highway transport
more likely for the movement of freight.

Table IN-2 provides information
on roadway systems. Expressways and other main roadways are grouped together
under "major roads" while all others are considered "secondary roads." These
are only general categories, as the definitions and data collection processes
vary from country to country. The tables and accompanying charts show the inverse
relationship between the previously displayed population density and miles per
population unit for all roads. The correlation with major roads is somewhat
less pronounced.

Table IN-3 shows the numbers
of several types of vehicles and vehicles per capita. Some countries count only
selected populations of trucks, and possibly use varying methods for counting
other vehicle types as well. Although all known variations between data are
noted in footnotes, it is possible that some were not apparent from the original
data sources and so are not noted. The data on automobiles per population unit
clearly show the disparity between Mexico and the more developed countries.

Table IN-4 presents a display
of the intensity of vehicle usage. While the U.S. While the U.S., as a large
populous country, is far ahead in total kilometers, the differences in kilometers
per vehicle and kilometers per person are much less. The data on average amounts
of travel by the various vehicle types most likely reflects the types of uses
of these vehicles as well as the geography and preferences of the country.

Table IN-5 shows fuel costs
among the selected countries. Fuel prices vary widely between countries and
reflect full costs including applicable taxes. More than 50 percent of gasoline
prices in the European countries can be attributed to taxes. While diesel fuel
taxes are less than those on gasoline they are substantial by comparison with
those imposed in the United States.

Table IN-6 provides fatalities
and fatality rates for each country.

USE OF DATA

The data in this section
came from reliable published sources which are noted with the individual tables.

Data collection methods,
definitions of terms, and basically political and economic infrastructures vary
from country to country. These differences will manifest themselves in many
ways within the data items and may not always be apparent. All data in this
section should, then, be used with great care and only for general comparisons.